Friday, October 16, 2009

Nearly eighteen months of qualifying games for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa came to an end Wednesday night at RFK Stadium in Washington, DC for the United States and Costa Rica. After nearly scoring a goal on the stroke of 9 minutes in what would have been argued as divine intervention, the Americans went down 2-0 in the first half before staging a dramatic late comeback to draw the match 2-2."The freezing cold temperatures and rain didn't dampen the spirits of international soccer fans, " comments Passport Health's own National Sales Director, Guillermo Giraldo who was in attendance at that game. "The stadium was filled with cheer and excitement. It was a devastating blow to the Costa Ricans when the US scored in the final minutes of injury time diminishing their hopes of a world cup birth."

The tie that felt like a win simultaneously threatened, if not crushed, the dreams of one nation and answered the prayers of another. It forced Costa Rica to a 2-game playoff against Uruguay for a seat at the World Cup table and clinched the first appearance in 28 years for the same Honduran team they defeated on foreign soil just four days prior.

Going into the match, the circumstances for the two teams could hardly have been different. The US team, having already qualified for their sixth straight World Cup, would have had every excuse in the world to take their foot off the gas, and rest their regulars. The Costa Rican ‘Ticos’ on the other hand, just one point ahead of Honduras in the six-team standings in third place, knew that the Honduran opponent on the same night would not be as tough and that a win against the US would likely be required.

The 'Ticos' have a tough fight ahead of them. Do you think they can pull through or will Uruguay beat them out for the chance at World Cup glory in South Africa next year?

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